OCT 20

14: OCT 20

Assigned

• Haybron, C5, “The Sources of Happiness” (24)
• Csiksentmihalyi, C2, “The Content of Experience’ (17)

In-class

• Background on Cskisentmihalyi

Haybron, “The Sources of Happiness”

• Acknowledges cultural relativity of what counts as happiness. (Note universality of happiness itself.)
• Focusing on things we don’t adapt to. But also that we can change.
• Haybron’s list (expanding from Ryan Deci’s theory of basic needs)

• 1. Security -

• material, social, project, time. Rational approach to risk.

• 2. Outlook -

• the “internal strategy” -external H-makers vs internal H-making skills.
• positivity (savoring, gratitude, pos focus) and acceptance (not passivity or low ambition)
• caring for others. -volunteering next to dancing in joy. (But maybe not for you?)
• extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation.

• 3. Autonomy - general human desire for self-determination.

• Option freedom v autonomy. (Paradox of Choice - still current)
• Makes a case for autonomy as universal - takes diff shape in kin-culture.

• 4. Relationships

• Component h-makers: understanding, validation, caring, trust (also a security item)

• 5. Skilled and meaningful activity.

• development of skills, meaningful activity (work or not), appreciative engagement.

• Money —

• shows an Easterlin graph.
• income affects H-l more.

Csiksentmihalyi, Finding Flow, Chapter 2

The Content of Experience

• Theoretical position, p. 21: In story of woman with two jobs: looking for patterns of human commitment to a life. Wants to ask less for self-reports of happiness and more about the moods and affect that might be functionally related to happiness.

• Two big points:

• 1. Happiness is positive emotion that might be driven by behavior. And,
• 2. It may be especially evident in a life of commitments and goals which reduce "psychic entropy." (Negative emotions are “entropic” for C.)

• Discussion of emotions, goals, and thoughts in terms of the organization of "psychic entropy", 22 roughly, the cognitive / emotive state of order in my mind at a particular moment or during an activity.
• Intentions and goals inform and order our psychic energy. Most prefer intrinsic motivation, next extrinsic, finally least productive of positive affect is no goal state. :*William James: self-esteem is a ratio of expectation (goals) to success. Set goals too high, lowers success and self-esteem.

• Note distinction between Eastern philosophical suspicion of origin of goals and "superficial reading" that suggests it counsels renunciation of goals.

• Three contents of consciousness: emotions, intentions, and thoughts. Their integration allows for flow. Concentration is necessary for flow, but can be impaired by lack of motivation and emotion.

• FLOW, p. 29ff. (What a quiet mind is getting ready for.)

• effortless action, being in the zone, altered time consciousness.
• clear set of goals, focusing attention.
• often at limits of skill and challenge level.
• absorption in task, dynamic feedback. "All in."

• Theoretical Problem about the Relation of Flow to Happiness:

• "It is the full involvement of flow, rather than happiness, that makes for excellence in life. When we are in flow, we are not happy, because to experience happiness we must focus on our inner states, and that would take away attention from the task at hand." [Theoretical note: choice of "rather than happiness". Also could be "causes LS" or savoring model.] Think about place of flow in hierarchy of daily goals. Intensity of flow varies widely from extreme to mundane activity. Note related states.
• Data on frequency of flow experiences, p. 33. About 20% yes, often. 15% no, never. (Again, you need to ask how much flow you want or need. Might depend upon how you feel when challenged. Ok, to live life staying “inside your game”.)

• Small Group Discussion: Tracking Affect

• 1. Think about a recent cycle of affect changes that you have experienced (similar to the example given). What are some of the personal practices you follow to bring negative affect (e.g. Anxiety, Worry, Apathy, Boredom) around to more positive states.
• 2. Share with your group some of the experiences that produce “flow” in your life. What are the obstacles to states of flow? How important is flow in your list of happiness makers? Does a happy life have to have flow?